Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Closing: Max Beauty Supply & Salon

A couple of months ago I noticed that the retail space at 494 Fifth, was for rent, and now the windows at Max Beauty Supply & Salon have closing signs in the window. It will be gone by the end of the month. The business lost its lease and is moving to Sunset Park, at Fifth & 56th. Moving south is the common pattern for many small, independent businesses around here. The store carried a huge stock of commercial and salon brand beauty products, with goods you could never find in a regular pharmacy. I couldn't remember how long Max's had been around. I was told fifteen years, but it seemed longer.
Though Fifth below 9th has seen many changes in recent years, it has still maintained a different feel from the northern part of the avenue, with a good number of older businesses sticking around, and even with a plethora of new bars & gyms, an absence of high-end restaurants or boutiques. But the pace of change is certainly quickening.